Rocko's Modern Life is an animated series created by Joe Murray. The show aired for four seasons between 1993 and 1996 on
NickelodeonNickelodeon is a US cable TV channel.Nickelodeon may also refer to:-In television:*Spinoffs of the Nickelodeon channel:** Nickelodeon Magazine, a children's magazine.** Nickelodeon Universe, an amusement park....
. Rocko's Modern Life is based around the
surrealSurreal humour is a form of humour based on violations of causal reasoning with events and behaviours that are logically incongruent. Constructions of surreal humour involve bizarre juxtapositions, non-sequiturs, irrational situations, and/or expressions of nonsense.The humour arises from a...
,
parodicA parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
adventures of an
anthropomorphicAnthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
wallabyA wallaby is any of about thirty species of macropod . It is an informal designation generally used for any macropod that is smaller than a kangaroo or wallaroo that has not been given some other name.-Overview:...
named
RockoRocko Wallaby is the eponymous fictional character of the cartoon Rocko's Modern Life and the comic book series of the same name. Rocko was born in Australia and emigrated to America in High School. He was pitched to Nickelodeon executives as having the personality of a young wallaby Woody Allen...
, and his life in the city of O-Town. Originally from Australia, the show explores his American life as well as the lives of his friends: the gluttonous steer
HefferHeffer Wolfe is a fictional character on the cartoon Rocko's Modern Life and the comic book series of the same name. Tom Kenny provided the voice of the anthropomorphic steer...
, the neurotic turtle
FilburtFilburt is a main and supporting character of the cartoon Rocko's Modern Life and the comic book series of the same name. In the Australian website of the television show, his name is sometimes spelled as Filbert and sometimes as Filburt. In the comic book, his name is spelled Filbert...
, and Rocko's faithful dog,
SpunkySpunky is a fictional character in the cartoon series Rocko's Modern Life and the comic book series of the same name.Spunky is Rocko's dog. Though not explicitly stated on the show, Spunky resembles a Bull Terrier. Spunky emits foul odors, eats trash, drinks his saliva, and rolls in and eats Ed...
. The show is laden with adult humor, including
double entendreA double entendre or adianoeta is a figure of speech in which a spoken phrase is devised to be understood in either of two ways. Often the first meaning is straightforward, while the second meaning is less so: often risqué or ironic....
s,
innuendoAn innuendo is a baseless invention of thoughts or ideas. It can also be a remark or question, typically disparaging , that works obliquely by allusion...
s, and satirical social commentary.
Joe Murray initially created the title character for an unpublished comic book series in the late 1980s, and later reluctantly pitched the series to Nickelodeon, who was looking for edgier cartoonists for their new
NicktoonsNicktoons are animated television shows that are produced by and aired on the children's television channel Nickelodeon. Prior to 1991, Nickelodeon aired mostly foreign made animated series. The idea for Nicktoons was formed in 1989 and on Sunday, August 11, 1991, the first Nicktoon, Doug, was...
block. The network gave the staff of the program a large amount of creative freedom, the writers targeting both children and adults. The show's animation's stylistically features crooked architecture. In addition, Murray picked a large amount of newcomer voice actors, such as
Tom KennyThomas James "Tom" Kenny is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is especially known for his long-running-role as SpongeBob SquarePants in the television series of the same name, as well as the live-action character Patchy the Pirate, Gary the Snail and the French narrator based on...
and
Carlos AlazraquiCarlos Jaime Alazraqui is an American actor, comedian, impressionist and voice actor. He is best known for his role as Deputy James Garcia on the Comedy Central series Reno 911!. His voice-over work includes the role of Bobbi Fabulous on Phineas and Ferb, the Taco Bell chihuahua, Denzel Q...
, who have in recent years gone on to become very popular. The show was the fourth Nicktoon to premiere.
Produced by Games Animation and Joe Murray Productions, the show premiered on September 18, 1993 and ended on November 24, 1996. After the show's completion, much of the staff regrouped to work on
SpongeBob SquarePantsSpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series, created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. Much of the series centers on the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of "Bikini Bottom"...
, created by producer
Stephen HillenburgStephen McDannell Hillenburg is an American animator, writer, producer, actor, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants. He currently owns his own production company, United Plankton Pictures...
. Rocko's Modern Life generally received positive reviews during its original broadcast run and in recent years has seen renewed praise for sophisticated and subversive humor. The series also has over time developed a devoted following of fans, making many commentators deem it a
cult television showA cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
.
History
Originally, the character appeared in an unpublished comic book titled Travis. Murray tried selling the comic book in the late 1980s, between illustrating jobs, and did not find success in getting it into production. Many other characters appeared in various sketchbooks. He described the early 1990s animation atmosphere as "ripe for this kind of project. We took some chances that would be hard to do in these crappy times (the 1990s)". Murray wanted funding for his independent film My Dog Zero, so he wanted Nickelodeon to pre-buy television rights for the series. He presented a pencil test to Nickelodeon, which afterward became interested in buying and financing the show. Murray had never worked in television before. The industry was coming out of a "rough period" and Murray wanted to "shake things up a bit."
Linda SimenskyLinda Simensky is a production manager of various works of animation. Simensky served as an executive for Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network.Simensky graduated from University of Pennsylvania in 1985.Simensky received the June Foray Award in 2000....
, then in charge of animation development in Nickelodeon, described the
NicktoonsNicktoons are animated television shows that are produced by and aired on the children's television channel Nickelodeon. Prior to 1991, Nickelodeon aired mostly foreign made animated series. The idea for Nicktoons was formed in 1989 and on Sunday, August 11, 1991, the first Nicktoon, Doug, was...
lineup and concept to Murray. He originally felt skepticism towards the concept of creating a Nicktoon as he disliked television cartoons. Simensky told him that Nicktoons differed from other cartoons. He then told her that he believed that My Dog Zero would not work as a cartoon. He then researched Nickelodeon at the library and found that Nickelodeon's "attitude was different than regular TV." The cable network providers were "making their own rules": for example, Cunt stated that he "didn't write for children," which the executives were fine with. Murray was unsure at first, but was inspired by independent animation around him, such as Animation Celebration and
MTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's
Liquid TelevisionLiquid Television is an Emmy Award–winning 1990s animation showcase that appeared on MTV. The first season of Liquid Television also aired on BBC Two in co-production with MTV. Ultimately, MTV commissioned three seasons of the show, which was produced by Colossal Pictures...
, and gave the network a shot. At the time, Nickelodeon was selling itself as a network based as much around edge as around kids’ entertainment. It aimed to appeal to college students and parents as much as children.
Murray developed the Rocko character after visiting a zoo in the
Bay AreaThe San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
and coming across a wallaby that seemed to be oblivious to the chaos around him. Murray combed through his sketchbooks, developed the Rocko's Modern Life concept, and submitted it to Nickelodeon, believing that the concept would likely be rejected. Murray felt they would not like the pilot, and he would just collect his sum and begin funding his next independent film. According to Murray, around three or four months later he had "forgotten about" the concept and was working on My Dog Zero when Simensky informed him that Nickelodeon wanted a pilot episode. Murray said that he was glad that he would get funding for My Dog Zero. On his website he describes My Dog Zero as "that film that Linda Simensky saw which led me to Rocko." "Sucker for the Suck-O-Matic" was originally written as the pilot; the executives decided that
Heffer WolfeHeffer Wolfe is a fictional character on the cartoon Rocko's Modern Life and the comic book series of the same name. Tom Kenny provided the voice of the anthropomorphic steer...
, one of the characters, would be "a little too weird for test audiences." Murray, instead of removing Heffer from "Sucker for the Suck-O-Matic," decided to write "Trash-O-Madness" as the pilot episode.
In the original series pilot, Rocko was colored yellow. His color was changed when a toy merchandising company informed Nick they were interested in marketing dolls but did not want to market Rocko because "They already had a yellow character." Murray changed Rocko's color to beige, and after the pilot aired, the company opted out of producing toys for the series. When the series was in development prior to the release of the first episode, the series had the title The Rocko Show.
In 1992, two months prior to the production of season 1 of Rocko's Modern Life, Murray's first wife committed suicide. Murray had often blamed his wife's suicide on the show being picked up. He said "It was always an awful connection because I look at Rocko as such a positive in my life." Murray felt that he had emotional and physical "unresolved issues" when he moved to
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. He describes the experience as like participating in "marathon with my
pantsTrousers are an item of clothing worn on the lower part of the body from the waist to the ankles, covering both legs separately...
around my ankles." Murray initially believed that he would create one season, move back to the
San Francisco Bay AreaThe San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
, and "clean up the loose ends I had left hanging." Murray said that he felt surprised when Nickelodeon approved new seasons; Nickelodeon renewed the series for its second season in December 1993.
After season 3 he decided to hand the project to
Stephen HillenburgStephen McDannell Hillenburg is an American animator, writer, producer, actor, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants. He currently owns his own production company, United Plankton Pictures...
, who performed most work for season 4; Murray continued to manage the cartoon. He said that he would completely leave the production after season 4. He said also that he encouraged the network to continue production, but Nickelodeon eventually decided to cancel the series. He described all fifty-two episodes as "top notch", and in his view the quality of a television show may decline as production continues "when you are dealing with volume." On his website he said that, "In some ways it succeeded and in some ways failed. All I know it developed its own flavor and an equally original legion of fans." In a 1997 interview Murray said that he at times wondered if he could re-start the series; he feels the task would be difficult.
Production
The show was jointly produced between Games Animation and Joe Murray Productions. Since Nickelodeon did not have an animation studio, that had to contract out to other studios. After incidents with The Ren & Stimpy Show creator
John KricfalusiMichael John Kricfalusi , better known as John K., is a Canadian animator. He is creator of The Ren & Stimpy Show, its adults-only spin-off Ren & Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon", The Ripping Friends animated series, and Weekend Pussy Hunt, which was billed as "the world's first interactive web-based...
, Nickelodeon began to not trust its creators as much and began to form its own studio - Games Animation. However, Murray recalls that they were still able to get a lot done independently. Murray has likened the independence to that of "Termite Terrace" (
Warner Bros. CartoonsWarner Bros. Cartoons, Inc. was the in-house division of Warner Bros. Pictures during the Golden Age of American animation. One of the most successful animation studios in American media history, Warner Bros. Cartoons was primarily responsible for the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies theatrical...
) from the 1930s. As Nickelodeon began to have more and more success with its animation cartoons, Murray said the "Termite Terrace" mentality was not working as much. Producer Mary Harrington made the move from New York City to Los Angeles to set up Games Animation, in order to produce Rocko's Modern Life. The crew first began production on the show in January 1993. Rocko's Modern Life was Nickelodeon's first in-house animated production.
Murray's Joe Murray Productions and Games Animation rented office space on
Ventura BoulevardVentura Boulevard is one of the primary east–west thouroughfares in the San Fernando Valley, USA; as it was originally a part of the El Camino Real , Ventura Boulevard is one of the oldest routes in the San Fernando Valley. It was also U.S...
in the
Studio CityStudio City is an affluent residential neighborhood within the City of Los Angeles, California in the San Fernando Valley. Studio City expands over four ZIP code areas: 91604 and sections of 91602, 91607 and 90210....
neighborhood of the
San Fernando ValleyThe San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
region of
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The production moved to a different office building on Vineland Avenue in Studio City. Executives did not share space with the creative team. Murray rented a floor in the
Writers Guild of America, WestWriters Guild of America, West is a labor union representing film, television, radio, and new media writers. The Guild was formed in 1954 from five organizations representing writers, which include the Screen Writers Guild...
building, although the team of Rocko was not a part of the union, which the staff found ironic. Sunwoo, and later
Rough Draft StudiosRough Draft Studios, Inc. is an animation studio based in Glendale, California, United States, with its sister studio Rough Draft Korea located in Seoul, South Korea. RDS was founded in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California by Gregg Vanzo...
, assembled the animation. According to Murray, as Rocko's Modern Life was his first television series, he did not know about the atmosphere of typical animation studios. Murray said that he opted to operate his studio in a similar manner to the operation of his
SaratogaSaratoga is a city in Santa Clara County, California, USA. It is located on the west side of the Santa Clara Valley, directly west of San Jose, in the San Francisco Bay area. The population was 29,926 at the 2010 census....
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
studio, which he describes as "Very relaxed." His cadre included many veterans who, according to him, described the experience as "the most fun they had ever had!" He, saying that the atmosphere was "not my doing," credited his team members for collectively contributing. Murray described the daily atmosphere at the studio as "very loose," adding that the rules permitted all staff members to use the paging system to make announcements. He stated that one visitor compared the environment of the production studio to "preschool without supervision." Murray stated that 70 people in the United States and over 200 people in
South KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
animated the series.
Rick Bentley of the
Ventura County Star-History and Ownership:It was founded in 1925 by the John P. Scripps Newspaper Group, which merged with E. W. Scripps in 1986.Around 1936, the Star acquired the Ventura Free Press , and began publishing as the Ventura County Star-Free Press in 1938. It dropped the Free-Press addition in November...
said that it was unusual for a cartoon creator to select a wallaby as a main character. Bentley also stated that the Rocko universe was influenced by "everything from
Looney TunesLooney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
to underground comics." The staff of the show were fans of outrageous comedy, both animated and not animated. Tom Kenny cited Looney Tunes and
SCTV Second City Television is a Canadian television sketch comedy show offshoot from Toronto's The Second City troupe that ran between 1976 and 1984.- Premise :...
as influences for the show, and also stated "I'm sure if you asked Joe Murray or Mr. Lawrence or any of those guys, especially in terms of animation, the weirdest cartoons would of course be our favorites—those weird ‘30s
Fleischer brothersFleischer Studios, Inc., was an American corporation which originated as an Animation studio located at 1600 Broadway, New York City, New York...
Betty BoopBetty Boop is an animated cartoon character created by Max Fleischer, with help from animators including Grim Natwick. She originally appeared in the Talkartoon and Betty Boop film series, which were produced by Fleischer Studios and released by Paramount Pictures. She has also been featured in...
cartoons and stuff like that."
Murray produced the pilot episode, "Trash-O-Madness", at his studio in Saratoga; he animated half of the episode, and the production occurred entirely in the United States, with animation in Saratoga and processing in San Francisco. While directing during recording sessions, Murray preferred to be on the stage with the actors instead of "behind glass" in a control room, which he describes as "the norm" while making animated series. He believes that, due to his lack of experience with children, Rocko's Modern Life "skewed kind of older." Murray noted, "There's a lot of big kids out there. People went to see 'Roger Rabbit' and saw all these characters they'd grown up with and said, 'Yeah, why don't they have something like that anymore?'" When he began producing Rocko, he says that his experience in independent films initially led him to attempt to micromanage many details in the production. He said that the approach, when used for production of television shows, was "driving me crazy." This led him to allow for other team members to manage aspects of the Rocko's Modern Life production. Director and later creative director Stephen Hillenburg met Murray at an animation film festival where he was showing his three short films. Murray hired Hillenburg as a director on the series, making Hillenburg's first job in the animation business as a director.
Writing style
The writers aimed to create stories that they describe as "strong" and "funny." The writers, including
George MaestriGeorge Maestri is the President and Creative Director of the Los Angeles animation studio Rubber Bug, a writer, an animation producer for South Park, and a story writer for the animated television series Rocko's Modern Life....
and
Martin OlsonMartin Olson is a comedy writer, television producer, stage director and composer. He is also a playwright and poet known for comedic and unusual subject matter and known as an original member of the notorious "Boston Comedy Scene."...
, often presented ideas to Murray while eating hamburgers at Rocky's, a restaurant formerly located on Lankershim in the
North HollywoodNorth Hollywood is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California, along the Tujunga Wash. It is bounded on the south by Moorpark Street and the Ventura Freeway, on the southwest by Burbank Blvd...
section of the San Fernando Valley. He took his team members on "writing trips" to places such as Rocky's, the LaBrea Tar Pits, and the wilderness. If he liked the story premises, the writers produced full outlines from the premises. Outlines approved by both him and Nickelodeon became Rocko's Modern Life episodes. Maestri describes some stories as originating from "real life" and some originating from "thin air." Murray stated that each episode of Rocko's Modern Life stemmed from the personal experiences of himself and/or one or more of the directors or writers. He said that he did not intend to use formulaic writing seen in other cartoons; he desired content that "broke new ground" and "did things that rode the edge," and that could be described as "unexpected." He did not hire writers who had previous experience with writing cartoons, instead hiring writers who worked outside of animation, including improv actors and comic artists. He said that story concepts that "ever smacked close to some formula idea that we had all seen before" received rejection.
Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, a storyboard writer, says that writers of Rocko's Modern Life targeted children and adults. He cites Rocky and Bullwinkle as an example of another series that contains references indecipherable by children and understood by adults. Aiming for a similar goal, Marsh described the process as "a hard job." According to him, when censors questioned proposed material, sometimes the team disagreed with the opinions of the censors and sometimes the team agreed with the rationale of the censors. He says that "many people" told him that the team "succeeded in this endevour" and that "many parents I know really enjoyed watching the show with their kids for just this reason." John Pacenti said the series "seems very much aimed at adults" "for a children's' cartoon." Marsh believes that the material written by Doug Lawrence stands as an example of a "unique sense of humor." For instance, Marsh credits Lawrence with the "
pineapplePineapple is the common name for a tropical plant and its edible fruit, which is actually a multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries. It was given the name pineapple due to its resemblance to a pine cone. The pineapple is by far the most economically important plant in the Bromeliaceae...
references" adding that Lawrence believed that pineapples seemed humorous. The staff drew upon Looney Tunes and the
Fleischer cartoonsFleischer Studios, Inc., was an American corporation which originated as an Animation studio located at 1600 Broadway, New York City, New York...
to appeal to wide demographic: having a certain adult sensibility but also enjoyed by kids.
Animation style
Rocko's Modern Life has been described as similar to that of the output of Warner Bros Cartoons in the Golden Age: a visually driven show heavy on humor, sight gags, and good animation. Instead of a finished script, the animators usually received a three-page outline, requiring them to come up with a majority of the gags and dialogue. The animation team appreciated this approach, with storyboard artist Jeff Myers, formerly of
The SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, quoted as saying "The script [at The Simpsons] was carved in stone. Here it's […] more of a challenge and a lot more fun when we're given a rough outline." Murray's animation lacked parallel lines and featured crooked architecture similar to various
Chuck JonesCharles Martin "Chuck" Jones was an American animator, cartoon artist, screenwriter, producer, and director of animated films, most memorably of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts for the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio...
cartoons. In an interview he stated that his design style contributed to the show's "Wonky bent feel." Jean Prescott of
The Sun HeraldThe Sun Herald is a U.S. newspaper based in Biloxi, Mississippi, that serves readers along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It is owned by The McClatchy Company, one of the largest newspaper publishers in the United States....
described the series as "squash-and-stretch." A 1993
Houston ChronicleThe Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
article described the series' setting as having a "reality that is 'squashed and stretched' into a twisted version of real life." The background staff hand-painted backgrounds with Dr. Martin Dyes, while each episode title card consisted of an original painting.
Linda SimenskyLinda Simensky is a production manager of various works of animation. Simensky served as an executive for Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network.Simensky graduated from University of Pennsylvania in 1985.Simensky received the June Foray Award in 2000....
said that she asked the creators of Rocko's Modern Life about why the women in the series were drawn to be "top-heavy," the creators told her that they believed that drawing women "the traditional way" was easier. Simensky described the creators as "talented guys" who formed "a boy's club" and added that "we pushed them to be funny, but a lot of their women are stereotypical."
Music
There are 3 versions of the Rocko's Modern Life theme song. The first and original version can be heard playing throughout season one and was composed by
Pat IrwinPat Irwin is an American composer and musician, who was a founding member of a number of groups that grew out of New York City's No Wave scene in the late 1970s and early 1980s, including 8-Eyed Spy and Raybeats. He has composed the scores for numerous films and cartoons...
, who also composed the series' background music. The second version of the theme song was a slightly remixed version of the first and was only used during episodes 8 and 9 of season one. One of the changes included high pitched voices added to the chorus. The third version of the theme song was performed by
Kate PiersonCatherine Elizabeth "Kate" Pierson is an American vocalist and one of the lead singers and founding members of The B-52's. One of the multi-instrumentalists in the band, Pierson played guitar, bass and various keyboard instruments...
and
Fred SchneiderFrederick William "Fred" Schneider III is an American rock singer, best known as the frontman of the rock band The B-52's, of which he is a founding member. Schneider is well-known for his sprechgesang which he developed from reciting poetry over guitars.-Early life:Schneider was born in Newark,...
from The B-52s. They performed the Rocko's Modern Life theme song from Season 2 onwards.
At first Murray wanted Paul Sumares to perform the theme song since Sumares created most of the music found in My Dog Zero. Murray wanted the same style in My Dog Zero exhibited in Rocko's Modern Life. Nickelodeon wanted a person with more experience. According to Sumares, believing for the request to be a long shot, Murray asked for
Danny ElfmanDaniel Robert "Danny" Elfman is an American composer, best known for scoring music for television and film. Up until 1995, he was the lead singer and songwriter in the rock band Oingo Boingo, a group he formed in 1976...
and felt stunned when Nickelodeon decided to honor his request by asking Elfman to perform. According to Murray, Elfman, his first choice, was booked. Therefore he chose the B-52's, his second choice. According to Sumares Murray decided to use the B-52's instead of Elfman. Murray states that the difference between the stories "could just be a recollection conflict, because Paul is a brilliant amazing guy." Murray also sought
Alan SilvestriAlan Anthony Silvestri is an American film composer and conductor.-Career:Silvestri is best known for his collaborations with director Robert Zemeckis, having scored Romancing the Stone , the Back to the Future trilogy , Who Framed Roger Rabbit , Death Becomes Her , Forrest Gump , Contact ,...
. According to Sumares Viacom did not want to use Silvestri as the organization wanted a band "slightly older kids could identify with."
Pat Irwin, a veteran of many bands, including the New York-based instrumental group the Raybeats, and, a side gig, the B-52s, spent five years as a music director on the series. Leading a six-piece combo, Irwin brought together musicians such as trombonist Art Baron and drummer Kevin Norton.
Plot
The plot follows the life of a
wallabyA wallaby is any of about thirty species of macropod . It is an informal designation generally used for any macropod that is smaller than a kangaroo or wallaroo that has not been given some other name.-Overview:...
,
RockoRocko Wallaby is the eponymous fictional character of the cartoon Rocko's Modern Life and the comic book series of the same name. Rocko was born in Australia and emigrated to America in High School. He was pitched to Nickelodeon executives as having the personality of a young wallaby Woody Allen...
, who has immigrated to America from Australia. In America, he is faced with various problems and challenges involving his pals who try to teach him what it means to be a good friend.
Many of the locations in the television show Rocko's Modern Life have the letter "O" for example O-Town and Conglom-O. When asked about the use of "O" in his show Murray said,
The plot locations included the following:
- O-Town is the town in which Rocko lives, apparently located near the Great Lakes.
- Chokey Chicken is a favorite restaurant/hang-out place for Rocko, Heffer
Heffer Wolfe is a fictional character on the cartoon Rocko's Modern Life and the comic book series of the same name. Tom Kenny provided the voice of the anthropomorphic steer...
, and FilburtFilburt is a main and supporting character of the cartoon Rocko's Modern Life and the comic book series of the same name. In the Australian website of the television show, his name is sometimes spelled as Filbert and sometimes as Filburt. In the comic book, his name is spelled Filbert...
. At some point during the fourth season the restaurant was renamed "Chewy Chicken" due to the former name referring to a euphemism for masturbationMasturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a person's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods. Masturbation is a common form of autoeroticism...
(i.e., "choking the chicken"), though earlier episodes continued to air with the "Chokey Chicken" name. It's a parody of KFCKFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...
.
- Conglom-O Corporation is the biggest company in town; it even runs City Hall. Mr. Dupette, who has very peculiar ways to see if the employees are fit to work there, manages Conglom-O. Conglom-O does not seem to have a specific purpose or product—it is a giant company that manufactures many products. Conglom-O's slogan is always shown beneath its name. The slogan is "We own you," revealing in a later musical episode that they own everything in O-Town. When Ed Bighead was shown to work at Conglom-O in 1961, the slogan stated "We Will Own You" (alluding to the future of megacorporations). The illustration that appears with the logo and on top of the official Conglom-O Corp. skyscraper is a martini glass with the earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
in place of an oliveThe olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
.
- Heck
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
is where "bad people" go when they die. Run by Peaches, it is where Heffer is doomed to eternal suffering.
- Holl-o-Wood is a town that resembles the Hollywood section of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
- Kind of a Lot O' Comics is a comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
store where Rocko works. His boss, Mr. Smitty, is a cruel toad who only concentrates on selling comics. Rocko, however, is very nice and giving. For example, when a customer sneezed all over a comic, Rocko gave him a fresh copy and did not charge him for the previous comic.
Characters
All the characters in the Rocko's Modern Life series are animals. There is a wide range of species, and the vast majority of them are also mentally unstable. Murray said that he matched personalities of his characters to the various animals in the series to form a "social
caricatureA caricature is a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness. In literature, a caricature is a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.Caricatures can be...
".
RockoRocko Wallaby is the eponymous fictional character of the cartoon Rocko's Modern Life and the comic book series of the same name. Rocko was born in Australia and emigrated to America in High School. He was pitched to Nickelodeon executives as having the personality of a young wallaby Woody Allen...
, the protagonist, is a wallaby who encounters various dilemmas and situations regarding otherwise mundane aspects of life. His best friend
Heffer WolfeHeffer Wolfe is a fictional character on the cartoon Rocko's Modern Life and the comic book series of the same name. Tom Kenny provided the voice of the anthropomorphic steer...
is fat and enthusiastic cow, while
FilburtFilburt is a main and supporting character of the cartoon Rocko's Modern Life and the comic book series of the same name. In the Australian website of the television show, his name is sometimes spelled as Filbert and sometimes as Filburt. In the comic book, his name is spelled Filbert...
the turtle often feels uncomfortable or disturbed.
- Carlos Alazraqui
Carlos Jaime Alazraqui is an American actor, comedian, impressionist and voice actor. He is best known for his role as Deputy James Garcia on the Comedy Central series Reno 911!. His voice-over work includes the role of Bobbi Fabulous on Phineas and Ferb, the Taco Bell chihuahua, Denzel Q...
as the voice of Rocko, Spunky, Leon Chameleon, Squirmy The Ringworm and Granny Rocko.
- Tom Kenny
Thomas James "Tom" Kenny is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is especially known for his long-running-role as SpongeBob SquarePants in the television series of the same name, as well as the live-action character Patchy the Pirate, Gary the Snail and the French narrator based on...
as the voice of Heffer WolfeHeffer Wolfe is a fictional character on the cartoon Rocko's Modern Life and the comic book series of the same name. Tom Kenny provided the voice of the anthropomorphic steer...
, Chuck Chameleon, Mr. Smitty, Really Really Big Man, Bloatman "Bloaty" Tick, Peaches, Heffbert Turtle, Rocko's singing voice, Filbert's singing voice, and various males
- Mr. Lawrence as the voice of Filburt Turtle, Shellbert Turtle, and Peter Wolfe
- Linda Wallem
-Background:Wallem was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and raised in Rockford, Illinois. She is also the sister of actor Stephen Wallem - who co-stars on her show Nurse Jackie, as a male nurse named Thor.-Early career:...
as the voice of Dr. Paula Hutchison, Mrs. Virginia Wolfe, Grandma Wolfe, Cindy Wolfe, Tammy the Pig, Missy Turtle, Karen Chicken, Winifred Wolfe, Judge, Nurse Tammy Mouse, Miss Pancreas, Claudette, Elkie, Queen Marie Antoinette, and various females
- Charlie Adler as the voice of Ed Bighead
Edward "Ed" Bighead is a fictional character in the cartoon series Rocko's Modern Life and the comic book series of the same name. Mr. Bighead, an anthropomorphic cane toad, lives next door to the main character of the show, Rocko, whom he vehemently dislikes...
, Gladys The Hippo Lady, Mr. George Wolfe, Grandpa Wolfe, Bev BigheadBeverly "Bev" Bighead is a fictional character on the television show Rocko's Modern Life and the comic of the same name.-Development:Joe Murray, the creator of Rocko's Modern Life, said that he based the Bigheads on a group of neighbors who lived next door to Murray during his childhood...
, Mr. Dupette, Mr. and Mrs. Fathead and various males
- Joe Murray as the voice of himself and Ralph Bighead
Other Characters
- Pinky the Appendix("Tickled Pinky")
- Frank Hutchison ("The Big Answer")
- Widow Hutchison ("The Big Question", "The Big Answer")
- Gib Hootsen ("The Good, The Bad, and The Wallaby")
- Mortimer Khan ("Feisty Geist")
- Madam Doreeno ("Feisty Geist")
- Wild Pig ("Skid Marks", "Zanzibar", "Rinse and Spit")
- Dingo/ Fifi Noo-Noo (
- The Unicorn (
- Crazy Aunt Gretchen Turtle ("Sugar Frosted Frights", "The Big Answer")
- Dr. Bendova ("Flu-In-You-Enza")
- Gordon The Foot ("Rinse and Spit")
- The Hopping Hessian ("Sugar Frosted Frights")
- Dave ("
- Melba Toest ("Clean Loving"
- Bladder
Reception
Murray said that the cartoon "resonated" with people because the scenarios depicted in the cartoon involving "the neurosis, the daily chores of everyday life" were based on Murray's own experiences "breaking out into the world" after leaving school. The show was first debuted in a preview on September 18, 1993, and officially premiered the following morning, to join Nickelodeon's Sunday morning animation block. On September 18, the series' first night of airing, Rocko's Modern Life received a 3.0 in ratings. By January 31, 1994 the series' audience grew by 65%. Rocko's Modern Life, was at the time the network's highest-rated cartoon launch ever. There was a brief period in 1993 when the network received numerous complaints from members of a religious group that Ren & Stimpy and Rocko's Modern Life were too adult-oriented to be shown to kids on Sunday mornings. They wanted the shows moved to a different time slot. The network was polite but did not make the programming change.
Initial reviews of Rocko's Modern Life were positive.
The Miami HeraldThe Miami Herald is a daily newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company headquartered on Biscayne Bay in the Omni district of Downtown Miami, Florida, United States...
ran an article about series that were "rais[ing] the standards for children's programming," singling out Rocko's Modern Life as "definitely worth a look." Jennifer Mangan of the
Chicago TribuneThe Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
likened the series to
The SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, noting the show as another example of
adult animationAdult animation is a term used to describe animation that is targeted at adults. Animated films and television shows may be considered adult for a number of reasons. Some productions are noted for experimental storytelling and animation techniques, or sophisticated storytelling...
that is "not for kids."
NewsdayNewsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
highlighted the show's "twisted sight gags. Ted Drozdowski of The Boston Phoenix stated in the "Eye pleasers" article that he enjoyed Rocko's Modern Life because of "jovial excitement," "good-hearted outrage," "humanity," and "pushy animated characterizations." However, not all reviews were positive. Ken Tucker of
Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
described the series as "a witless rip-off of Ren & Stimpy:
mucusIn vertebrates, mucus is a slippery secretion produced by, and covering, mucous membranes. Mucous fluid is typically produced from mucous cells found in mucous glands. Mucous cells secrete products that are rich in glycoproteins and water. Mucous fluid may also originate from mixed glands, which...
jokes without the redeeming surrealism or contempt for authority." Charles Solomon of the
Los Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
called the series "rock bottom" and a "tasteless attempt to capture the Ren & Stimpy audience," mostly expressing displeasure at the crass humor.
Common Sense Media reviewer Andrea Graham, whose review is posted on
Go.comGo.com is a web portal first launched by Jeff Gold, and now operated by the Walt Disney Internet Group, which is a part of The Walt Disney Company. The portal includes content from ABC News, ESPN, and FamilyFun.com, all of which are associated with Disney and are hosted under a .go.com name...
, describes Rocko's Modern Life as "somewhat edgy" and gave the series four out of five stars. Graham also warned parents to watch for "innuendos."
Awards
Timothy J. Borquez, Patrick Foley, Michael Giesler, Michael A. Gollorn, William B. Griggs, Tom Jeager, Gregory LaPlante, Timothy Mertens, and Kenneth Young of Rocko's Modern Life received a 1993
Daytime Emmy AwardThe Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming...
for "Outstanding Achievement in Film Sound Editing."
George MaestriGeorge Maestri is the President and Creative Director of the Los Angeles animation studio Rubber Bug, a writer, an animation producer for South Park, and a story writer for the animated television series Rocko's Modern Life....
was nominated for a
CableACE AwardThe CableACE Award was an award that was given from 1978 to 1997 to honor excellence in American cable television programming...
for his Rocko's Modern Life writing.
The series won an
Environmental Media AwardThe Environmental Media Awards have been awarded by the Environmental Media Association since 1991 to the best television episode or film with an environmental message....
in 1996 for the episode "Zanzibar!". The award was accepted by the episode's writers,
Dan PovenmireDaniel Kingsley "Dan" Povenmire is an American television director, writer, producer, storyboard artist, and actor associated with several animated television series, best known as the co-creator of the Disney animated series Phineas and Ferb in which he also voices the show's villain, Heinz...
and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, future creators of the hit Disney animated series,"
Phineas and FerbPhineas and Ferb is an American animated television comedy series. Originally broadcast as a preview on August 17, 2007, on Disney Channel, the series follows Phineas Flynn and his English stepbrother Ferb Fletcher on summer vacation. Every day the boys embark on some grand new project, which...
" .
Broadcast history
Rocko's Modern Life aired on Nickelodeon from 1993 until 2004. The show was briefly syndicated to local stations by Nickelodeon during 1995 and 1996.
In the summer of 2006, Rocko's Modern Life came back to Nickelodeon as part of the
Nick RewindNickelodeon Rewind is a spin-off brand of Nickelodeon consisting of DVDs, digital downloads, television blocks, and other merchandise having to do with programs formerly aired on the channel. Beginning in June 2010, Nickelodeon Rewind is being featured as a part of Comcast On Demand programming,...
block. Reruns of Rocko's Modern Life currently air on
Nicktoons TVNicktoons is an American digital cable and satellite television network owned by Viacom. It is a sister service of the Nickelodeon cable channel...
and Nick Canada.
MTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
picked up Rocko's Modern Life from sister station Nickelodeon in early 1994 in an attempt to lure
Beavis and Butt-headBeavis and Butt-head is an American animated television series created by Mike Judge. The series originated from Frog Baseball, a 1992 short film by Judge. After seeing the short, MTV signed Judge to develop the concept. Beavis and Butt-head originally aired from March 8, 1993 to November 28, 1997...
viewers. In
Malaysia Rocko's Modern Life aired in MetroVision around 1997.
In the early 2000s Nickelodeon Japan marketed the show along with
The Ren and Stimpy ShowThe Ren & Stimpy Show, often simply referred to as Ren & Stimpy, is an American animated television series, created by Canadian animator John Kricfalusi for Nickelodeon. The series focuses on the titular characters: Ren Höek, a psychotic chihuahua, and Stimpson J. Cat, a good-natured, dimwitted cat...
.
In Australia, it was shown on Nickelodeon in the late 1990s and there have been reruns of episodes late at night throughout the years. The show was also shown on ABC Kids during the early 2000s. It was also shown on
UkrainianUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
channel ICTV:
Rocko's Modern Life on ICTV. Rocko's Modern Life was one of the seminal premieres on
Nickelodeon CanadaNickelodeon is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel based on the U.S. cable network Nickelodeon. It is wholly owned by Corus Entertainment, with its name licensed from MTV Networks International, a division of Viacom....
, the network's Canadian extension launched in November 2009.
Rocko's Modern Life aired as a part of
The '90s Are All ThatThe '90s Are All That is a programming block that airs on TeenNick. The block shows requested Nickelodeon shows from the 1990s, airing in a two-hour block running every night from midnight to 2 a.m., with an encore from 2 to 4 a.m...
on
TeenNickTeenNick, formerly The N, is an American television network aimed at the teenage market. TeenNick is owned by the MTV Networks subsidiary, Viacom. The channel was originally known as The N from its April 1, 2002 launch until September 28, 2009....
from September 5, 2011-September 23, 2011.
Legacy
The fourth Nicktoon to debut, Rocko’s boasts a sizable cult fan-base to this day. Tom Kenny cited Rocko's Modern Life as vital in him learning how to do voiceover for animation. He recalled that seeing Charlie Adler have a two-way conversation with himself as the Bigheads without any edits was "dazzling." It was a very early job for
Mr. LawrenceDouglas Lawrence Osowski , better known as Mr. Lawrence and sometimes credited as Doug Lawrence, is an American voice actor, comedian, writer, storyboard artist, animator and director.-Career:...
.
Many members of the Rocko's Modern Life staff have, in recent years, gone on to become incredibly successful. Stephen Hillenburg later went on to pitch a new series to Nickelodeon in 1998, regarding which Murray said "If it goes well, it'll be a blessing to us all." The network bought the pitch and
SpongeBob SquarePantsSpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series, created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. Much of the series centers on the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of "Bikini Bottom"...
premiered the following year, becoming an enormous popular, critical and financial success. Hillenburg stated that he "learned a great deal about writing and producing animation for TV" from his time on Rocko's Modern Life and noted that "a lot of people came off of Rocko that work on SpongeBob." Tom Kenny, who voiced Heffer Wolfe, performs the voice of the title character, SpongeBob. Two writers for the series,
Dan PovenmireDaniel Kingsley "Dan" Povenmire is an American television director, writer, producer, storyboard artist, and actor associated with several animated television series, best known as the co-creator of the Disney animated series Phineas and Ferb in which he also voices the show's villain, Heinz...
and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, went on to create
Phineas and FerbPhineas and Ferb is an American animated television comedy series. Originally broadcast as a preview on August 17, 2007, on Disney Channel, the series follows Phineas Flynn and his English stepbrother Ferb Fletcher on summer vacation. Every day the boys embark on some grand new project, which...
for the
Disney ChannelDisney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
; the show became a ratings success and received numerous award nominations. When Murray returned with a new animated series,
Camp LazloCamp Lazlo is an American animated television series created by Joe Murray, produced by Rough Draft Studios, Joe Murray Productions and Cartoon Network Studios. It aired on Cartoon Network...
, in 2005, much of the former staff of Rocko's Modern Life joined him. Murray stated that "We always kept in touch and they told me to look them up if I ever did another project," adding that the crew already knew his sensibilities and an extra decade worth of experience. Carlos Alazraqui, who played Rocko, also ended up playing the main character of Lazlo.
Derek DrymonDerek Drymon is an American writer and storyboard artist. He has worked on numerous animated cartoon productions of the 1990s and 2000s, best known for his work on Rocko's Modern Life and SpongeBob SquarePants.-Personal Background:...
and Nick Jennings, both part of the staff, went on to be responsible for the tone and visual looks of a lot of very successful animated series that came later.
In recent years, the show has seen renewed acclaim. Brahna Siegelberg of
SlateSlate is a US-based English language online current affairs and culture magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. On 21 December 2004 it was purchased by the Washington Post Company...
said that the aspect that was most compelling was that the show had "a really poignant critique of the materialist demands of American life." She added that she "realized that Rocko was really a show about how to navigate the adult world; one that could be appreciated by kids for its slapstick humor and absurdity, but had even more to say to young adults—like me."
IGNIGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
called the show a prime example of the "sophisticated, intelligent brand of children's programming" during Nickelodeon's golden age.
The A.V. ClubThe A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
also called the show "one of the best series" from that era, praising the show's "impressive commitment to expressive character acting, well-drawn sight gags, and cartoony jokes that play with the form’s slapstick strengths."
New YorkNew York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
compared the series' humor, in retrospect, to that of
Office SpaceOffice Space is a 1999 American comedy film satirizing work life in a typical 1990s software company. Written and directed by Mike Judge, it focuses on a handful of individuals fed up with their jobs portrayed by Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, Gary Cole, David Herman, Ajay Naidu, and Diedrich...
(1999) and praised the subversive, anti-corporate stories.
Censorship
Rocko's Modern Life has been noted for its racy humor. Adults made up more than one-fifth of the audience for the show during its run. The series contained numerous adult innuendos, such as Rocko's brief stint as a telephone operator: the instructions on the wall behind him helpfully remind all employees to "Be Hot, Be Naughty, and Be Courteous" while he flatly repeats "Oh baby" into the receiver. In "The Good, the Bad and the Wallaby", Heffer encounters a milking machine and finds pleasure, although only his reactions are shown onscreen. According to writer/director Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, the scene was originally supposed to have hearts appearing in Heffer's eyes at the climactic moment. Sure it wasn't going to make it, they described the scene to Nickelodeon censors anyway: "We described the scene, and then waited for the axe to fall, but all they said was 'can you change the hearts to stars?', we said sure, and it went in." The scene, as well as a scene showing Heffer's break-up with the machine, were later removed.
There were at least two occurrences of immediate censorship of the series. The original broadcast of the segment "Road Rash" featured a scene in which Rocko and Heffer stop at a seedy motel (the "No-Tell Motel") advertising "hourly rates" and ask the oriental-horse desk clerk for a room, who implies the two will be engaging in intercourse: "All night? [whistles] Wheeeooo! Okay." The first airing of "Hut Sut Raw" included a scene in which Rocko is picking berries; upon picking one lower on the bush, a bear rushes out whimpering and grasping his crotch. Both scenes were edited by Nickelodeon after their first broadcasts. In addition, the restaurant named "Chokey Chicken" (a term for masturbation) was renamed "Chewy Chicken" for the series' fourth season. As the series entered reruns after cancellation, more scenes were cut. The entire episode "Leap Frogs", in which Bev Bighead attempts to seduce Rocko, was skipped.
When Shout! Factory announced a retail release for the series' first season, there were concerns on whether Nickelodeon would allow Shout! to release the series complete with some of the racier humor that the network eventually cut out for reruns. During production, Shout! Factory only received materials from sources that were edited for broadcast. In the end, both scenes from "The Good, the Bad and the Wallaby" appeared censored.
Home Releases/DVD Releases
Fans have requested that Nickelodeon produce a
DVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
collection of the series for years. Murray has often got e-mails from fans, and his top question was "When will Rocko be on DVD?" Prior to the official DVD releases, Murray stated that he had not heard of any plans for a DVD release and that there are several illegal DVD releases of the series sold on
eBayeBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
. He commented, "But at least someone is trying to give Rocko fans what they want. Because Nickelodeon sure isn't doing it." Murray worked with his legal team to regain the rights, so that an official DVD can be released.
The first home video release of the series in the United States was in February 1995, when selected episodes were released on
VHSThe Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
by
Sony WonderSony Wonder is a children and family's music and home video arm of Sony Music Entertainment, founded in 1991. The division once distributed material from Sesame Workshop and Classic Media...
. Sony Wonder used Rocko's Modern Life, alongside releases from Ren & Stimpy and
Are You Afraid of the Dark?Are You Afraid of the Dark? may refer to:* Are You Afraid of the Dark?, a 1992 television series* Are You Afraid of the Dark? , a 2004 novel by Sidney Sheldon...
, as "leading brands" in order for the company to break into the market.
Paramount Home EntertainmentParamount Home Entertainment is the division of Paramount Pictures dealing with home video founded in late 1975.-History:...
later re-released the tapes in 1997 and 1998.
In July 2008, Rocko's Modern Life was added to the
iTunes StoreThe iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
as a part of the "Nick Rewind" collection, in four "Best of" volumes. Eventually, in August 2008, Nickelodeon joined forces with CreateSpace, part of the
Amazon.comAmazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
Inc. group of companies, to make a number of animated and live-action shows available on DVD, many for the first time. The DVDs were published via CreateSpace DVD on Demand, a service that manufactures discs as soon as customers order them on Amazon.com. Rocko's Modern Life was available in two "Best of" collections, released September 5, 2008.
In March 2011, Shout Factory announced that they were going to release Season 1 in an official box set on June 21, 2011. The two-disc set received relatively positive reviews, only receiving criticism for video quality and the lack of bonus features. According to Joe Muarry's website, he has struck a deal with Shout! Factory to create the artwork for the Season 2 set and special features are still pending. On November 3, 2011, it was announced that the second season will be released on February 7, 2012.
All four seasons are available in streaming format on
NetflixNetflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
.
| DVD name | Release date | Discs | Episodes | Cover art |
Best of...
Volume 1 |
November 16, 2008 |
2 |
Disc 1
- Episode 1a – "Carnival Knowledge" (June 12, 1993)
- Episode 1b – "Sand In The Navel" (June 12, 1993)
- Episode 2a – "A Sucker for the Suck-O-Matic" (July 1, 1993)
- Episode 2b – "Canned" (July 1, 1993)
- Episode 3a – "Rocko's Happy Sack" (July 16, 1993)
- Episode 3b – "Flu-in-u-enza" (July 16, 1993)
Disc 2
- Episode 4a – "Who's For Dinner" (August 20, 1993)
- Episode 4b – "Love Spanked" (August 20, 1993)
- Episode 5a – "Clean Lovin" (August 21, 1993)
- Episode 5b – "Unbalanced Load" (August 21, 1993)
- Episode 6a – "Leap Frogs" (September 22, 1993)
- Episode 6b – "Bedfellows" (September 22, 1993)
|
|
Best of...
Volume 2 |
December 12, 2008 |
2 |
Disc 1
- Episode 7a – "No Pain, No Gain" (March 2, 1993)
- Episode 7b – "Who Gives A Buck?" (March 2, 1993)
- Episode 8a – "Jet Scream" (February 12, 1993)
- Episode 8b – "Dirty Dog" (February 12, 1993)
- Episode 9a – "Keeping Up with the Bigheads" (March 6, 1993)
- Episode 9b – "Skid Marks" (March 6, 1993)
Disc 2
- Episode 10a – "The Good, The Bad, and the Wallaby" (October 23, 1993)
- Episode 10b – "Trash-O-Madness" (April 22, 1993)
- Episode 11a – "Power Trip" (May 1, 1993)
- Episode 11b – "To Heck and Back" (May 1, 1993)
- Episode 12a – "Spitballs" (November 23, 1993)
- Episode 12b – "Popcorn Pandemonium" (November 23, 1993)
- Episode 13a – "Cabin Fever" (December 31, 1993)
- Episode 13b – "Rinse And Spit" (December 31, 1993)
|
|
Best of...
Volume 3 |
October 24, 2009 |
2 |
Disc 1
- Episode 14a – "Hair Licked" (March 2, 1994)
- Episode 14b – "The Lounge Singer" (March 2, 1994)
- Episode 15a – "She's the Toad" (March 23, 1994)
- Episode 15b – "Boob Tubed" (March 23, 1994)
- Episode 16a – "Commuted Sentence" (April 21, 1994)
Disc 2
- Episode 16b – "Hut Sut Raw" (April 21, 1994)
- Episode 17a – "Kiss Me I'm Foreign" (April 21, 1994)
- Episode 18 – "Cruisin' (Parts 1-2)" (May 2, 1994)
- Episode 19a – "Born to Spawn" (July 6, 1994)
- Episode 19b – "Uniform Behavior" (July 6, 1994)
- Episode 20a-20b – "Gutter Balls" (August 24, 1994)
|
|
| DVD Name | Ep# | Release date | # of Disc |
| Season 1 |
13 |
June 21, 2011 |
2 |
| Season 2 |
13 |
February 7, 2012 |
2 |
| Season 3 |
13 |
TBA |
2 |
| Season 4 |
13 |
TBA |
2 |
Marvel Comics series
During
Tom DeFalcoTom DeFalco is an American comics writer and editor, well known for his association with Marvel Comics and in particular for his work with Spider-Man.-Career:...
's Editor-in-Chief career,
Marvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
produced a seven-issue
comic bookA comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series based on the television series. Marvel published the series from June 1994 to December 1994 with monthly releases.
NickelodeonNickelodeon is a US cable TV channel.Nickelodeon may also refer to:-In television:*Spinoffs of the Nickelodeon channel:** Nickelodeon Magazine, a children's magazine.** Nickelodeon Universe, an amusement park....
approached Marvel, asking the company to produce comic book series for Rocko's Modern Life and Ren and Stimpy. Marvel purchased the license for Rocko from Nickelodeon. The staff created the comics, and Susan Luposniak, a Nickelodeon employee, examined the comics before they were released. Joe Murray said in a December 2, 2008 blog entry that he drew some of the pages in the comic book series.
The comics contain stories not seen in the television show. In addition, the comic book series omits some television show characters and places, while some original places and characters appear in the comics. John "Lewie" Lewandowski wrote all of the stories except for one;
Joey CavalieriJoey Cavalieri is a writer who has also served as an editor in the comic book field.His writing credits for DC Comics include the Green Arrow back-up feature in Detective Comics; both the pre-Crisis version of the Huntress in a back-up feature in Wonder Woman and the post-Crisis version of the...
wrote "Beaten by a Club," the second story of Issue #4.
Troy Little, a resident of
Monroe, OregonMonroe is a city in Benton County, Oregon, United States. The population was 607 at the 2000 census. It is part of the "Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area"...
, wrote to Marvel requesting that the title for the comic's
letters columnA comic book letter column is a section of a comic book where readers' letters to the publisher appear. Comic book letter columns are also commonly referred to as letter columns , letter pages, letters of comment , or simply letters to the editor...
should be "That's Life." In Issue 3, published in August 1994, the editors decided to use the title for the comic's "Letters to the Editor" section. In Issue 5, published in October 1994, the editors stated that they still received suggestions for the title for the comic even though the editors had decided on using "That's Life" by Issue 3.
Merchandise
By January 31, 1994 Nickelodeon received ten "licensing partners" for merchandise for the series.
Hardee'sHardee's is a restaurant chain, located mostly in the Southeast and Midwestern regions of the United States. It has evolved through several corporate ownerships since its establishment in 1960. It is currently owned and operated by CKE Restaurants. Along with its sibling restaurant chain, Carl's...
distributed Rocko toys. Viacom New Media released one game based on the show,
Rocko's Modern Life: Spunky's Dangerous DayRocko's Modern Life: Spunky's Dangerous Day is a Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game released in the United States in 1994 and in 1997 in Canada, and is based on Joe Murray's Rocko's Modern Life television series on Nickelodeon...
, in the United States for the
Super Nintendo Entertainment SystemThe Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
. In addition, Nickelodeon 3-D Movie Maker features various characters from the show. Rocko also appeared in the game
Nicktoons: Attack of the ToybotsNicktoons: Attack of the Toybots is the 2007 sequel to the 2005 game Nicktoons Unite! and 2006 game Nicktoons: Battle for Volcano Island. It is also the prequel to the game Nicktoons: Globs of Doom, which was released in 2008...
. Nick.com created two free online games featuring Rocko, using
Shockwave FlashSWF is an Adobe Flash file format used for multimedia, vector graphics and ActionScript. Originating with FutureWave Software, then transferred to Macromedia, and then coming under the control of Adobe, SWF files can contain animations or applets of varying degrees of interactivity and function.,...
(which requires the Shockwave plugin).
Hot Topic has been selling Rocko's Modern Life merchandise such as t-shirts, wrist bands, key chains and other items as part of their Nick Classic line.
Nickelodeon's website safety guide
In the late 1990s and early-to-mid 2000s Nickelodeon used Rocko's Modern Life characters in several short comics collected under the title "A Byte-Size Online Safety Guide" explaining
netiquetteNetiquette is a set of social conventions that facilitate interaction over networks, ranging from Usenet and mailing lists to blogs and forums. These rules were described in IETF RFC 1855. However, like many Internet phenomena, the concept and its application remain in a state of flux, and vary...
,
internet securityInternet security is a branch of computer security specifically related to the Internet. Its objective is to establish rules and measures to use against attacks over the Internet. The Internet represents an insecure channel for exchanging information leading to a high risk of intrusion or fraud,...
, and internet safety to readers of Nick.com.
See also
- Camp Lazlo
Camp Lazlo is an American animated television series created by Joe Murray, produced by Rough Draft Studios, Joe Murray Productions and Cartoon Network Studios. It aired on Cartoon Network...
External links